By Matt Clark

Be sure to visit IGN Tech for all the latest comprehensive hands-on reviews and best-of roundups. Note that if you click on one of these links to buy the product, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

Updated: July 2018

So, you’ve got the perfect PC gaming setup with a huge monitor, tunable mouse, RGB keyboard, and of course a gaming PC with more cores than an apple farm. As you sit at your throne, you look to your side and your mouse is sitting on top of an old magazine. Don’t…don’t be that person. The best Mousepads for gaming are a huge step up from whatever substitute you’re using right now. While it’s probably one of the least expensive components in your gaming setup, it’s worth it to invest in a quality Mousepad. Your aim will improve, and so will your K/D ratio.

Plus, if you’re into RGB there’s a bunch of mousepads these days that can sync their lighting with your keyboard and mouse (assuming they’re all the same brand), making for a rather slick desktop light show. There’s all kinds of mats for your mouse, ranging from old-school cloth pads to high-end “mousing surfaces,” and even ones that can charge your smartphone. Though opinions vary on a topic like this, here’s my picks for the best mousepads you can buy today.

Best Wireless Charging Mousepad — Corsair MM1000

There’s a very real possibility you have a phone on your desk, or at least nearby, while you work. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just plop it down and let it charge without messing with a charging cable? The MM1000 mousepad from Corsair has your back. It features a Qi wireless charging pad built right in, and it’s located at the top corner of this somewhat large mousepad, so you don’t have to worry about bumping into it. It also comes with a bunch of adapters, so you can charge anything with a USB port wirelessly, as if by magic.

Best Dual-Sided Mousepad — Corsair MM600

Not only is the Corsair MM600 a stylish mousepad, it’s extremely functional regardless of your play style. There’s an aluminum core inside to make the surface extra sturdy, and there’s four rubberized caps at the corners to keep the pad from sliding all over your desk too. Most importantly, the MM600 offers dual textured finishes, with a low-friction finish on one side for fast mouse gliding, and a textured finish side for improved accuracy. There’s no lights or anything fancy; it’s just a solid, well-made mousepad that will work with any type of game.

Best Budget Mousepad — SteelSeries QCK Gaming Mass

SteelSeries QCK mousepad is made of cloth so it’s pretty traditional as far as mousepads go. Some might even glance at it and get flashbacks from the olden days, but pads like these are still effective, and this particular mousepad is a stellar deal. The surface is nice and smooth to allow for quicker mouse gliding, which is perfect for twitchy games, and the mat itself has a really thick base so it’ll never move around on your desk. The rather small SteelSeries logo in the corner is a nice touch, given some companies’ propensity for splashing huge logos all over everything.

Best “Desk Pad” Mousepad — Asus ROG Sheath

Sometimes a simple pad for your mouse just isn’t enough. You want a mousepad that can sit under your mouse, your keyboard, and the space in-between too. It essentially let you move your mouse wherever the heck you want, without ever having to think about moving it off the mat, plus it keeps your desk looking kind of swanky too. Though there are a few mousepads of this size, my favorite is the ROG Sheath.

This big dog is almost three feet wide, so it’s got plenty of room for both your keyboard and mouse. The surface has a smooth finish to promote fast mouse gliding and there’s a non-slip surface underneath, so it’ll never move around on your desk. The Asus logo in red is tastefully done as well, and it’s even available in a water-proof version too so you can rest a drink on it.

Best Mid-Size Mousepad — Roccat Taito Control

Roccat’s Taito Control doesn’t have any significant bells and whistles; it’s just a well-made mousepad, and the blue accent color is unique and it stands out. The Taito has a finish that’s smooth but offers a little bit of texture for accurate control, and the heavy-duty stitching on the edges means it won’t be fraying after years of abuse. Another great feature of the Taito Control is its decent surface area—at roughly 16” x 13” it sits somewhere between a medium and large mousepad.

Best RGB Mousepad — Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris

Praise Gaben, RGB lighting has finally come to mousepads, and my top pick is the Corsair MM800. It offers a hard surface with great accuracy for quick swipes and precise smaller movements. Under the hood, this mousepad packs an astonishing 15 LED zones, all of which are customizable to your liking through Corsair’s CUE software. And while you’ll add another cable to your desk in order to plug the MM800 into the PC, it also features a USB pass-through, so you can plug a wired mouse or wireless headset dongle right into the pad.

Best Adhesive Mousepad — Razer Sphex V2

If you’re looking for something truly unobtrusive (and unique), look no further than the Razer Sphex V2. Instead of just being a mousepad that rests on your desk, this is basically a hard plastic sheet with a tacky, adhesive backing. Instead of placing it on your desk, you adhere it, so it actually becomes a part of your desk’s surface. The adhesive is reusable too, so you can move the Sphex around whenever you want. The polycarbonate surface is super thin and offers a smooth finish for speedy mouse movements. It’s a bit spendy, but it’s also pretty unique.

Matt Clark has been writing about technology, computer hardware, video games, and pop culture for a decade but he’s been nerding out about those things his entire life. When he’s not writing at his computer, you can find him working inside of it. Follow him on Twitter @ClarkMatt.